Collating and collecting apparatus

ABSTRACT

Collating and collecting apparatus in which a plurality of receiving bins are arranged in a helical array on a vertically movable platform. The platform is connected to a threaded central column so that rotation of the platform will cause both vertical and circumferential movement.

United States Patent [151 3,674,142 Bristol et al. 1 July 4, 1972 [54] COLLATING AND COLLECTING [56] 7 References Cited APPARATUS UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventors: Thomas R. Brist l, R dwo d Ci y; Harold 3,013,671 12/1961 Lamb ..214/6 H Lakin, Portola Valley; Fre L- R ng 3,140,009 7/1964 Wallace .....214/16.4 R Sunnyvale, all of Calif. 3,158,287 11/1964 Wilmer ..214/1 64 R [73] Assignee: Kleer-Vu Industries, Inc., New York, NY. P ma y Examiner-Richard A. Schacher T [22] Filed: Ju y 8, 1 Attorney Townsend and ownsend 21 Appl. No.: 58,938 1 ABSTRACT Collating and collecting apparatus in which a plurality of 52 us. c1. ..209/74, 214/16.4 R receiving bins are arranged in a helical array on a vertically 511 Int. Cl ..B07c 3/02 movable Platform The Platform is connected to a threaded [58] Field f Search og 72 74; 214 H, 4 R central column so that rotation of the platform will cause both vertical and circumferential movement.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 4 1972 SHEET 10F 2 Q 8 rl 7 INVENTORS THOMAS R. BRISTOL HAROLD LAKIN FRED 1.. RENGA AT TORP EYS This invention is related to collating and collecting apparatus in general and, more specifically, it is related to apparatus for the collating and collecting of microforms, with the preferred embodiment of the present invention specifically designed for the collection and collation of microfiche.

Microforms is the general term for many kinds of film carriers having greatly reduced images thereon. Among the many kinds of microforms now known in the art are aperture cards and microfiche. Aperture cards are business machine type cards on stiff paper stock having a window therein within which or over which a piece of film for carrying images is affixed. Still another microform is what has come to be known as microfiche, a piece of film having a plurality of images therein or a transparent plastic carrier having strips of film affixed thereto or enclosed within double sheets of the carrier. A standard microfiche has begun to receive wide acceptance. This is a COSA'I'I microfiche having dimensions of 105 mm X 148 mm. Reproduction equipment for microfiche of the COSATI type has only recently become available. For large scale reproduction the microfiche must be sorted and collated so that the reproduction equipment operates at optimum efficiency.

The present invention is designed to be useful in the collating and collecting of microfiche from a microfiche reproducing apparatus although the principles embodied in the invention make it useful for the collecting and/or collating of any kind of article.

In a typical collating operation it may be necessary to collate the output of a microfiche reproducing machine making fifty copies of twenty-five different microfiche masters. Thus, it will be necessary for the collating equipment to separate each of the 50 copies of the first master in 50 separate compartments then place one of the 50 copies of the second master in each of the compartments and repeat the operation until all the microfiche masters have been copied and the copies distributed among the 50 compartments. The collecting operation would require simply that each of the copies of the first master be collected in a compartment and then each of the copies of the next be collected in a second compartment, continuing in sequence until all the masters have been copied.

The apparatus of the present invention accomplishes the collating and collecting operations in connection with a reproducing apparatus by means of a novel arrangement of receptacles, bins, or article receiving units in a uniform array substantially helically. In the preferred embodiment 100 receptacles or bins are arranged in columns and mounted on a circular platform with the openings of the bins facing outward. The bins are arranged so that there is a vertical displacement of one-tenth the height of a bin between the bins in a column and each of the adjoining bins in the adjacent column. Thus, upon rotation of the circular platform upon which the bins are mounted there is a helical path from bin to bin so that following the bottom of each of the bins upon rotation of the platform one full revolution will result in moving upward one bin on the first column.

In order to permit the most efficient discharge of the articles to be collated or collected into the bins there is provided a helical path on a column at the center of the circular array of bins with the platform or supporting structure connected to the central column so that upon rotation of the platform it will move upward or downward along the helical path, as well as circumferentially. The pitch of the helical path or thread is equivalent to the full height of the bins. Thus, in the case of a support structure having one hundred bins arranged in columns of 10, moving the structure one-tenth revolution will cause it to move vertically one-tenth bin spacing so that the same placement relative to the article feeding station is accomplished as the support structure rotates.

In order to accurately align the columns of storage bins with the article feeding station the collator of the present invention is provided with an extremely accurate indexing mechanism of novel design. The indexing mechanism is related to the well known Geneva type drive but is so constructed that the drive is fully positive whether the direction is clockwise or counter-clockwise and further the construction of the indexing mechanism is such that there are virtually no alignment problems during assembly. I

The helical arrangement of receptacles or storage bins is not intended to be the sole embodiment of the present invention. It is contemplated that other arrangements of receptacles than circular or helical may be employed, movable together along an axis to permit registry with an article discharge station.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view in partial section of the collator of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of the collecting receptacles;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the collecting receptacles showing the relationship of adjacent receptacles;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the indexing plate for the collator; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the drive mechanism for the indexing plate.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which the same reference numerals refer to identical parts in each of the several views, it may be seen that the collator of the present invention comprises a series of vertical stacks of bins A arranged in circular form. The corresponding bins in the adjacent stacks are displaced vertically from each other so that corresponding compartments in the stacks form a helically tiered arrangement. The displacement of adjacent bins is shown more clearly in FIG. 3. In the preferred embodiment the bins of compartments 12 will have a face to face spacing S of 1 inch and the displacement between adjacent bins will be S/ 10 since there are 10 vertical stacks A of bins. In the preferred embodiment the spacing S is one inch and thus the vertical displacement between adjacent bins is one-tenth inch. The stacks A of bins 12 are mounted on a platform 14 which is carried on a central column 16 having a helical thread or track 18 formed on its outside surface. The pitch of the helical track 18 is one inch so that one revolution of the platform 14 will raise or lower the platform and its bins one inch. In order to permit the platform 14 to move vertically, smoothly and efficiently the platform is provided with a central ring 20 within which three followers 22 are mounted to extend inwardly to engage the helical thread 18. The followers 22 extend from studs 24 equidistantly spaced around the column for maximum support of the platform. Extending radially from the central ring 20 are three support arms 26 carrying roller guide assemblies 28 at their outboard ends. The roller guide assemblies comprise an inner roller unit 30 and an outer roller unit 32 disposed on either side of vertical guide posts 34. The inner and outer roller units ride up and down the vertical guide posts upon rotation of the structure around the central column.

The vertical guide posts 34 are mounted on the rotatable indexing plates 36 and are held at their upper end by a cover plate 42. The indexing plate has a bearing 38 at its center, the bearing being secured on the central column 16. The upper plate 42 has a bearing 40 at its center which is secured to the upper end of the column 16 so that the entire structure rotates freely around the column 16. As is now clear, rotation of the indexing plate 36 will rotate the guide posts and the platform 14 and, as they rotate, the platform 14 will ride up and down the vertical column 16 because the followers 22 move along the track as the structure rotates.

The motive power for the indexing drive comprises a reversible drive motor 44 having a pulley 46 attached to its shaft for driving a drive belt 48 which is connected to drive pulley 50 coaxially mounted to the drive rotor 52. On the upper surface of the horizontally positioned drive rotor are a pair of driver rollers 54. In the preferred embodiment the driver rollers are rotatably mounted on upright shafts or pins 56 suitably afiixed to the upper surface of the drive rotor.

The indexing plate 36 has petals 58 which act as cam followers to be driven by the driver rollers 54. The petals 58 are separated by slots 60 having a width sufficient to accommodate the diameter of the driver rollers 54. The petals or cam followers 58 are formed witha pair of opposed arcuate surfaces 62 which are engaged between the driver rollers 54 so that when the drive rotor 52 revolves the driver rollers 54 move along the arcuate surfaces 62, one of the rollers moving radially inward into the slot 60 while the other roller moves radially outward toward the stub end 64 of the petals. The opposed arcuate surfaces 62 of each of the petals have a radius R from the center 66 of each petal, the center of rotation of the drive rotor 52 being on the circle whose center is at the center of the index plate 36 and which passes through each of the petal centers 66.

Because of the location of the drive rotor on the circle through the center of the petals, assembly of the unit is comparatively simple since all that is required is to place a pin through the center of the petal 66 and into a corresponding hole in the drive rotor 52 and the units are fully aligned.

In operation the reversible motor 44 drives the belt and thus the drive rotor 52 thus rotating the driver rollers 54, each of which in turn engages a succeeding slot 60 in the indexing plate 36. During the period of time when the driver rollers 54 are engaged with the arcuate surface 62, the petal is positively locked between the two driver rollers so that the unit cannot go forward or backward. There is virtually no play so that there is provided with this indexing mechanism a positive drive with virtually no backlash in the system.

The drive rotor 52 is provided with a flat 68 formed by a chordal cutout from the diameter of the rotor in order to accommodate a small, sensitive switch such as a microswitch for determining when the drive rotor is in the position at which the petal is fully engaged between the driver rollers 54.

To complete the description of the collator and the collector of the present invention there need only be described the article feeding station which may be of any convenient design in order to feed articles to the storage bins l2. Illustrated in FIG. 1 is an entrance conveyor drive comprising a drive motor 70 which rotates a drive belt 72 for driving the lower of a pair of conveyor belts 74 and 76. The lower belt 74 receives the articles to be fed to the collator at one end thereof and as the lower belt 74 rotates a gear 78 which is driven by the drive belt 72 and which meshes with a gear 80 on the upper belt 76 causes belt 76 to rotate also so that the articles to be fed pass between the belts and are discharged at the article feeding station 82 and into the bin in registry therewith. The feeding of the articles through the conveyor belts is timed so that there is sufiicient period of time between the feeding of each of the articles to index the indexing plate 36 to bring another bin into registry with the article feeding station 82.

The operation of the collating and collecting apparatus is as follows: As has been noted the collator has 100 bins or compartments arranged in stacks of ten each and the indexing plate 36 has 10 petals or cam followers, each corresponding to one of the stacks of bins. The helical screw on the center column has a pitch of one inch corresponding to the face to face depth of each of the bins in the stack. Thus, 36 rotation of the indexing plate or the advancement of one petal will cause the platform carrying the bins to be raised or lowered one tenth of the pitch or one-tenth inch. As has been noted, corresponding bins in adjoining stacks are displaced from each other one-tenth inch so that as the entire platform rotates and moves upward or downward, the bin presented at the point chosen for the article feeding station is always at the identical level. Indexing of the collating bins is accomplished by rotation of the drive rotor 180. As the drive rotor rotates the driver roller in the slot causes the indexing plate to rotate and the rotation continues until the second driver roller engages the arcuate surface opposite the slot into which the first driver roller had been engaged. Then for a period of dwell of approximately 36 the petal is positively locked between the opposed driver rollers and the bin corresponding to that locatron is in position for an article to be discharged therein. In-

dexing the unit one petal further will bring the next bin in the adjoining stack into position for the placement of an article fed from the conveyor belt into that bin. The collating apparatus can be connected with any apparatus for feeding a series of articles to be collated and can be controlled so that the collating apparatus can collate, that is, index as each article is fed seriatim into the article feeding station by the conveying apparatus or the collating unit can be arranged with suitable controls for collecting a series of articles and in such case the unit would remain in position until such time as the required number of articles was collected in one bin and then indexed to the next bin for the articles to be collected therein. The collating apparatus is provided with a reversing motor so that the unit can be moved in either direction for the actual collating operation. Thus, for example, with suitable controls, the unit will collate by starting the platform in a raised position and collating as the platform moves downward and then when the last article of the series has been received in its proper bin the platform will remain at that bin for the first of the next series of articles to be placed in the same bin and then the platform moved upward to collate in series so that there is no lost motion by having to move the entire apparatus upward or downward to return to the same bin at which the operation began initially.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Collating and collecu'ng apparatus comprising: a plurality of receptacles in a helical array and transport means for moving said receptacles past a station for feeding articles into said receptacles by means of a combination of rotation and translation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including transport control means for controlling seriatim movement of said receptacles past the feeding station by controlling the rotation and translation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein the transport means comprises: power means for rotating the circular array of receptacles, and including an indexing mechanism for stopping the rotary motion of receptacle array at a plurality of preselected locations in registry with the article feeding station.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the receptacles are mounted in a plurality of vertical columns and carried on a rotatable platform.

5. In an article classifying and collating system, a plurality of article receiving units disposed in a substantially hollow cylindrical array, each of said article receiving units having an opening at one end thereof facing outward, a supporting structure carrying said units and mounted for rotation about a central column, said column having a helical track on the circum-. ference thereof, means connected to the supporting structure and engaged with the track so that the structure will move vertically during rotation thereof, and control means for stopping the movement of the structure when a preselected unit is in registry with an article feeding station.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 and wherein the control means includes an indexing mechanism for seriatim aligning of said article receiving units in registry with the article feeding station. 

1. Collating and collecting apparatus comprising: a plurality of receptacles in a helical array and transport means for moving said receptacles past a station for feeding articles into said receptacles by means of a combination of rotation and translation.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 including transport control means for controlling seriatim movement of said receptacles past the feeding station by controlling the rotation and translation.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, and whErein the transport means comprises: power means for rotating the circular array of receptacles, and including an indexing mechanism for stopping the rotary motion of receptacle array at a plurality of preselected locations in registry with the article feeding station.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the receptacles are mounted in a plurality of vertical columns and carried on a rotatable platform.
 5. In an article classifying and collating system, a plurality of article receiving units disposed in a substantially hollow cylindrical array, each of said article receiving units having an opening at one end thereof facing outward, a supporting structure carrying said units and mounted for rotation about a central column, said column having a helical track on the circumference thereof, means connected to the supporting structure and engaged with the track so that the structure will move vertically during rotation thereof, and control means for stopping the movement of the structure when a preselected unit is in registry with an article feeding station.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 and wherein the control means includes an indexing mechanism for seriatim aligning of said article receiving units in registry with the article feeding station. 